ATLANTA — Self-driving from the San Francisco-based company Cruise will soon be tested out in metro Atlanta.
According to a report from 11Alive's media partner, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, these vehicles will still have drivers behind the wheel-- for now at least.
“Initial testing, which involves a driver behind the wheel, is happening throughout Atlanta, including parts of Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead,” a Cruise spokesperson told the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “This is an important first step in getting to know Atlanta's roads and driving behaviors before we progress to driverless operations.”
The paper noted though that, according to TechCrunch, just because Cruise is testing out its vehicles in the city, doesn't mean it will launch service here.
While these cars are technically legal here, the Chronicle notes that there are only a few recent examples of autonomous vehicles being used - such as in the City of Peachtree Corners and a shuttle service in Cobb County.
The Chronicle added that Cruise, which is owned by General Motors, has a fleet of about 400 all-electric, self-driving vehicles, which are powered by renewable energy - per the company.
However, the Chronicle also noted the self-driving industry is still facing hurdles, including wider adoption due to safety concerns.
Cruise is targeting $50 billion in revenue by 2030 but is currently operating in the red. GM is losing about $2 billion a year on Cruise, according to Reuters.
The Chronicle added that, according to the company, Cruise has raised a total of $10 billion from investors including GM, Honda, Microsoft and Walmart. The company was founded in 2013 by Kyle Vogt and Dan Kan. So far, Cruise said it has driven more than 3 million driverless miles.